1. Technical Field
The invention relates to an image forming apparatus including a toner replenishing device that replenishes toner that is used in an operation of forming an image, and particularly, relates to a toner replenishing device including a replenishing-port shutter that opens and closes a toner replenishing port of the toner replenishing device, and an image forming apparatus including the toner replenishing device.
2. Related Art
Generally, an electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes a toner replenishing device that replenishes toner that is used in a developing device when an image is formed. The toner replenishing device has: a replenishing device body to and from which a toner cartridge that accommodates toner therein is attached and detached; a toner replenishing port through which the toner is replenished from the toner cartridge; a replenishing-port shutter that opens and closes the toner replenishing port; and a toner conveying member that conveys the toner supplied from the toner cartridge to a developing device. This toner replenishing device adopts such a technique that when the toner cartridge is slidingly moved in an insertion/pull-out direction, the movement of a cartridge shutter that opens and closes a toner supply port on the toner cartridge is caused to interlock with the movement of the replenishing-port shutter on the image forming apparatus body, thereby suppressing toner leak during toner replenishment.
As the technique of suppressing the toner leak in the toner replenishment, the following technique (J01) has been known.    (J01) Technique described in JP 2005-134452 A (particularly, paragraphs 0094 to 0098 and abstract)
JP 2005-134452 A describes such a technique that when a toner cartridge (Ky, Km, Kc, Kk) is replaced, the movement of a cartridge shutter (141y) that is movable between (i) a position where it opens a toner supply port (123y) of a toner cartridge (Ky, Km, Kr, Kk) that is opened downward and (ii) a position where it closes the toner supply port (123y) is caused to interlock with the movement of a replenishing-port shutter (33y) that is movable between a position where it opens a toner replenishing port (31y) on an image forming apparatus body (U2) and a position where it closes the toner replenishing port (31y), thereby replenishing the toner.
In JP 2005-134452 A, when the toner cartridge (Ky, Km, Kc, Kk) is being inserted in mounting the toner cartridge, a front end of the cartridge shutter (141y) in its insertion direction is engaged with a body-side engagement portion (91y) and positioned. In this state, when the toner cartridge (Ky, Km, Kc, Kk) is further inserted, the cartridge shutter (141y) opens the toner supply port (123y). Moreover, when the toner cartridge (Ky, Km, Kc, Kk) is still further inserted, a boss (137y) on the toner cartridge (Ky, Km, Kc, Kk) engages with the replenishing-port shutter (33y) on the image forming apparatus body (U2). The replenishing-port shatter (33y), which has engaged with the boss (137y), is inserted and slidingly moved in the insertion direction in accordance with the movement of the toner cartridge (Ky, Km, Kc, Kk), and the toner replenishing port (31y) on the image forming apparatus body (U2) is opened. When the replenishing-port shutter (33y) is pushed to the open position, the toner supply port (132y) and the toner replenishing port (31y) overlap each other, and the toner for replenishment is replenished from the toner cartridge (Ky, Km, Kc, Kk) to the image forming apparatus body (U2).
Also, when the toner cartridge (Ky, Km, Kc, Kk) is being pulled out in detaching the toner cartridge, the boss (137y) of the toner cartridge (Ky, Km, Kc, Kk) abuts against narrow-width portions (66y and 66y) of the replenishing-port shutter (33y), and the replenishing-port shutter (33y) and the toner cartridge (Ky, Km, Kc, Kk) become movable in an interlocking manner in a pull-out direction. When the toner cartridge (Ky, Km, Kc, Kk) is further pulled out in this state, the replenishing-port shutter (33y) slidingly moves in accordance with the movement of the toner cartridge (Ky, Km, Kc, Kk) in the pull-out direction, and the toner replenishing port (31y) is closed. When the toner cartridge (Ky, Km, Kc, Kk) is still further pulled out and the replenishing-port shutter (33y) arrives at the close position where it closes the toner replenishing port (31y), the boss (137y) on the toner cartridge (Ky, Km, Kc, Kk) is detached from the replenishing-port shutter (33y). When the toner cartridge (Ky, Km, Kc, Kk) is pulled out in this state and is slidingly moved in the pull-out direction, the cartridge shutter (141y) closes the toner supply port (123y), and after the toner supply port (123y) is completely closed, the toner cartridge (Ky, Km, Kc, Kk) is detached from the image forming apparatus body (U2).